HONG KONG (AFP) ― Thousands of fans flocked to a major K-pop concert in Hong Kong on Saturday, cheering an array of South Korean stars in the latest sign of the pop music phenomenon’s rising popularity.

Music Bank featured eight popular South Korean artists and was the largest K-pop concert to be held in the southern Chinese city.

Boy band TVXQ and singing starlet IU were among the groups that danced and sang to a sea of exuberant fans.

“I am very happy that Hong Kong is able to organize such a large K-pop concert” said Sunye, a singer for South Korea’s top female group Wonder Girls, who also performed at the concert.

“I am also very happy that Korean culture has a worldwide influence.”

Saturday’s extravaganza came after major South Korean groups such as Girls’ Generation and 2PM held concerts this year in Hong Kong, where K-pop is rapidly rising in popularity.

Music Bank concerts were sold out in Tokyo last year, and it was also a hit earlier this year in Paris, according to concert organisers. The tour will head to Brazil and the United States later this year.

TV dramas and movies along with K-pop have been increasing in popularity across Asia, in a phenomenon known as “Hallyu,” or the Korean cultural wave.